Clematis plant named ‘Evipo050’

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, light pink flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical classification:

Genus: Clematis.

Species: viticella.

Variety denomination: ‘Evipo050’.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling. Both parent varieties are non-patented.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2001 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named ‘Evipo050’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seed parent has flowers which are deep pink, while the new plant has flowers which are light pink. The male pollen parent has a growth height less than that of the new cultivar.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant light pink flowers;     -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for         container culture; and     -   3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo050’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in 2002. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo050’ by means of vegetative stem cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 2002. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo050’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo050’. Specifically illustrated in the drawing are flowers at various stages of development, flower in parts, a cluster of flower buds on the stem, leaves, and bare stems. Plants shown are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo050’, as observed in its growth throughout the flowering period in Marion County Oreg. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in 2 liter containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematis variety ‘Evione’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,222 are compared to ‘Evipo050’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo050’ ‘Evione’ Flower diameter 100 mm 130 to 180 mm Tepal upper Red-Purple Group Purple 76A with red/purple surface 60A with intonations central bar 71A of Red-Purple Group 61B Tepal count 9 6, sometimes 8

FLOWER AND FLOWER BUD

-   Blooming habit: Continuous. The natural flowering period is     generally from April to September. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—Normally 35 mm in length. Bud diameter is 15 mm.         -   Texture.—Very pubescent.         -   Bud form.—Elliptic.         -   Bud color.—Yellow-Green Group 145C with intonations of             Greyed-Red Group 182B towards apex. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Surface texture.—Pubescent.         -   Length.—On average 45 mm.         -   Diameter.—3 mm.         -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 144B.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong. -   Receptacle:     -   -   Surface texture.—Pubescent.         -   Shape.—Broad funnel.         -   Size.—2 mm (h)×4 mm (w).         -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 144B. -   Flower arrangement:     -   -   Location on vine.—New and old growth.         -   Borne.—Normally in clusters of 3 flowers.         -   Attitude.—Flowers are typically oriented upwards and             outwards on the vine. -   Flower bloom:     -   -   Size.—On average, flowers are 100 mm in diameter and 25 mm             in depth.         -   Profile.—Open flowers are flat.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lasting quality.—Flowers normally remain up to 10 days on             the plant. -   Tepals:     -   -   Tepal color.—Upon opening, the upper surface is Red-Purple             Group 60A with intonations of Red-Purple Group 61B. Upper             surface changes to Purple Group 75A with intonations of 75D.             Occasionally splotches of White Group 155A. The lower             surface is Purple Group 76D with marginal intonations of             Red-Purple Group N74D. The lower surface central bar is             Orange-White Group 159C. After opening the upper surface is             Red-Purple Group 70A with a central bar of Red-Purple Group             63A.         -   Quantity.—Normally 9 tepals.         -   Size.—55 mm in length by 40 mm wide.         -   Shape.—Individual tepal shape is elliptic. The tepal apex is             mucronate. The tepal base is obtuse.         -   Apex recurvature.—None.         -   Tepal cross section.—Flat.         -   Margins.—Entire. Slight undulations of margin observed.         -   Persistence.—Tepals drop off cleanly.         -   Arrangement.—Overlapping. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Arrangement.—Somewhat compact.         -   Pollen.—None observed.         -   Anthers.—Size: 5 mm in length. Color: Purple Group 79A.             Quantity: On average, 35.         -   Filaments.—Color: Yellow Group 1D. Length: About 6 mm.         -   Pistils.—Quantity: On average, 20.         -   Styles.—Color: Green-White Group 157A. Length: 10 mm.

PLANT

-   Plant form: Climbing. -   Plant growth: Moderately vigorous. -   Size: Seasons growth attains 50 to 75 cm in height. Average spread     is 50 cm. -   Stems:     -   -   Color.—Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144B. Mature             stems are Greyed-Red Group 182A.         -   Internodes.—On average, 8 cm between nodes.         -   Length.—Normally 30 cm from the base of the plant to the             flowering portion of the stem.         -   Diameter.—Normally 2 mm.         -   Texture.—Mature stems are ribbed. -   Plant foliage:     -   -   Leaf characteristics.—Deciduous.         -   Arrangement.—Trifoliate.         -   Leaf size.—Compound leaves are normally 140 mm (l)×110 mm             (w). Leaflets are normally 42 mm (l)×23 mm (w).         -   Abundance.—On average 1 leaf per 10 cm of stem.         -   Leaf color.—Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group 144A. Juvenile             lower Yellow-Green Group 144B. Mature upper Yellow-Green             Group 147B. Marginal intonations of Greyed-Red Group 178B.             Mature lower Yellow-Green Group 147C.         -   Stipules.—Absent.         -   Petioles.—Size: Normally 80 mm in length by 1 mm diameter.             Texture: Smooth. Color: Greyed-Orange Group 173A above,             underneath Yellow-Green Group 144B.         -   Petioloule.—Size: Normally 40 mm in length by 1 mm diameter.             Texture: Smooth. Color: Greyed-Orange Group 173A above,             underneath Yellow-Green Group 144B.         -   Leaflet shape.—Generally elliptic. The base is rounded to             cordate. The apex is acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Surface.—The upper side is smooth. The lower side is smooth.         -   Thickness.—Average.         -   Glossiness.—Not glossy. -   Disease resistance: Subject to any disease that normally attacks the     species. However the variety is more tolerant to clematis wilt,     Ascochyta clematidina, than some clematis known to the inventors. -   Cold hardiness: The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness Zone 6. -   Heat tolerance: The variety has been found to be suitable for     climate conditions found in the American Horticulture Society heat     zone 7. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Evipo050’, substantially as described and illustrated , due to its abundant light pink flowers with good keepability, attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 